Bigger and Better Things
by Sting4052
Summary: Captain Sharon Raydor tries her best to avoid a blizzard and make it home to LA. Get inside her head, and find out what and who she's thinking about during her two-day odyssey in airports and on airplanes.


I'm exhausted, hungry, and a little smelly. My neck is so stiff I can't move my head from side-to-side without pain, and I'm pretty sure I caught a cold yesterday on the flight from New York City to Atlanta. I'm still in Atlanta, and that's a problem. I really need to get back to work running Major Crimes in LA. That's where I would love to be. Instead, I'm stuck in this airport with no idea how long I might be here. So much for the weeks of planning and preparation I put into this trip. Mother Nature doesn't care about my planning and preparation.

At least I got to enjoy my Goddaughter's beautiful wedding on Long Island. It seems like it was a month ago, but it's only been two days. Two days of trying to get home while a blizzard rages across the middle of this country. I worried about the weather when I made travel arrangements, but I couldn't disappoint Jennifer. She's been my best friend since high school. Missing the wedding of her baby girl was just not an option. And I do love weddings!

Jennifer has a large home in Garden City, and I was so excited to stay with her a few days leading up to the wedding. It felt just like old times. Sitting around in our pajamas and gossiping like we did when we were young. It's hard to believe she's been a widow for almost ten years. It was good to hear about the special guy she's been dating the last three months. That's all she wanted to talk about, and I was happy to listen. I'd rather listen than talk about my failed marriage to Jack. Thank God that's finally over. Time to move on to bigger and better things. Still, Jennifer knows something is up with me. She kept trying to get me to talk about something other than my kids or work, but I'm just not ready to talk about ... Andy.

I'm Andy's boss. I'm Andy's friend. That's really all there is to it, and it's only recently I've caught myself wanting to linger in his presence at work. His grin and wry sense of humor appeals to me. I guess that's why I started accepting his dinner invitations. It's perfectly harmless. I can honestly say I don't regard our dinners as dates. I don't think he does either, but he's had no problem letting Nicole think we're dating. I guess that should make me mad, but I'm not mad. I'm confused. What are my feelings? What are his feelings? When did I start thinking about feelings? It's impossible to shut my eyes and try to nap with all these questions swirling around in my mind.

Atlanta wasn't initially on my itinerary, but in an effort to avoid the snow and ice I thought it would be a good idea to change my travel plans. I've managed to skirt the bad weather, but I'm traveling stand-by and there's no guarantee I'm getting home today. Provenza is more than capable of leading the team in my absence.

I've talked to Andy several times, and he assures me I'm not missing a thing in LA. His voice has a calming effect on me, and I've started to notice subtle nuances when we talk. It's probably just my imagination. I've also talked to Rusty multiple times in between his classes. He's fine for now and living on campus. I hesitated to take this trip because I've been so worried about him in the wake of Stroh's disappearance, but he insisted that I go and enjoy myself.

I have a little over two hours to kill before maybe boarding the plane for home and I'm still hungry. I think I'll treat myself to a nice meal and maybe a glass of dry, white wine. Thankfully, I don't have to wait long for a table with a great view of all the activity outside. It's a beautiful, sunny day which makes it hard to believe people in the middle of America are freezing.

I always dress in layers when I travel because I tend to get cold. Sitting here I realize I need to remove a few layers. The sun and this wine are warming me up. Out of the corner of my eye I spot a very distinguished man with silver hair. He sort of reminds me of Andy, but he's shorter and not as handsome. On second thought, the stranger looks more like Provenza. This is kind of embarrassing. He's staring at me and raising his glass in a toast. Okay, I'll toast back from three tables away. No more eye contact. Just let me finish my meal, go back and wait for my name to be called for a boarding pass.

The waiter just gave me another glass of wine which I didn't order. It seems it's from Mr. Distinguished. Great, now I feel compelled to make eye contact and he's walking this way. I don't want to talk to a stranger, and I don't have to because I didn't ask for this glass of wine. I feel kind of bad about basically ignoring his feeble attempt to flirt with me, but I just don't have the energy to make small talk. I'm going to enjoy the second glass of wine anyway. Maybe it will help me sleep on the plane.

I wonder why that just happened. Men don't tend to even attempt to flirt with me. I know it's my demeanor and I'm fine with that. I don't like obvious flirtation. I like subtle. I like a slow burn. Is that what's going on with Andy? That's what it feels like. Lately, when he and I make eye contact there's absolutely nothing subtle about it. Sometimes, when he looks at me a certain way, I can feel his eyes asking me questions for which I have no answers. This is silly. I need to finish my meal and get back to the gate before the plane leaves without me.

Finally, it looks like I'm going to catch a break and get on this flight to LA. We should land around 6 p.m. By the time I retrieve my bags and drive home I should still have time to take a long, hot bubble bath before calling it a day. I just wish I felt better. I feel slightly feverish, and I've been coughing and sneezing like crazy. I knew this would happen as soon as I sat next to that cute toddler on the plane yesterday. She reminded me of Emily at that age. The child was very well-behaved, but she did have a runny nose and she sneezed and coughed all over me for the duration of the flight. Her mom was apologetic, but it was seriously irritating. I don't have time to be sick. I have a job to do and a team to lead.

By the time we land, my head is throbbing. The wine didn't make me sleepy: It just made my head hurt. I need to grab my bags and go. What's taking so long? Please tell me this isn't happening. My two bags are nowhere to be found. I could just sit down in the middle of the floor and cry because I'm so tired and frustrated. I have to report this to the bored lady in the baggage claim office. I'm explaining to her that my luggage didn't make it to LA when I remember putting my key ring in one of the bags. I didn't want to carry the heavy set of keys in my purse. Not a good idea. Now I have no luggage and no way to drive home.

Andy is probably still at the office. I'll call and ask if he'll bring me the extra set of keys I keep in my desk. Damn, no answer. Just as I'm walking outside to catch a cab my cell phone rings. "Andy, thanks for calling me back. I have a huge favor to ask."

I explain the situation and tell him where to find me, and he lets me know he'll be here with the keys as soon as possible. I'm so grateful and so tired and so sick. I have to find a place to sit and wait. I hope this won't take long.

I must have dozed off. When I wake up, Andy is headed my way. He has that beguiling grin on his face and I can't help but grin back. As I attempt to stand, he reaches for me, pulls me into his arms and plants a solid kiss on my lips. I can't move my head because my neck is still stiff. In a moment of sharp clarity I realize I don't want to move. I want to stay right here, and let Andy kiss me hard with soft lips. When the kiss ends, he looks me straight in the eyes while still holding me. That's when I realize I'm about to sneeze in his face. I can't hold it back, and I can't turn my head. This feels miserable. All I can do is take a quick step back before sneezing on the front of his shirt.

If it's possible to actually die of embarrassment, I would do it right now. Could this moment be any more awkward? I can hear him laughing, but I can't seem to peel my eyes off the floor and look at his face.

"Sharon, don't look so miserable. We're just sharing a few germs," he says with a chuckle.

When I finally look up, he's holding the keys out to me with that familiar grin on his face. "Andy, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to sneeze all over you. Thanks for coming to my rescue. You really caught me off guard with that kiss."

"I caught myself off guard," he says. "Sharon, I didn't realize just how much I missed you 'til I saw you sitting there looking all adorable."

Now that just makes me snort laugh and roll my eyes. Sitting in airports and on airplanes for two straight days has made me the opposite of adorable. I just want to go home, take a bath, crawl into my bed and sleep for a week. I'll think about the kiss and what it means later.

When the alarm goes off the next morning, I wake up and immediately feel like I've been hit by a train. This cold has settled in and decided to stay for a while. That's just great. I've already taken several vacation days, and now I'm going to have to take a sick day.

* * *

"The captain is sick and not coming in today," Provenza announces to the team gathered in the Murder Room. "Seems she's caught a cold. By the way, Flynn please stop sneezing all over the office."

"I can't help it," replies Flynn with a smirk. "I must have picked up some germs somewhere."

"You are a germ," proclaims Provenza. The whole team is trying to hold in their laughter as Taylor, accompanied by Fritz Howard, enters the room looking for Captain Raydor.

"Has Captain Raydor made it in this morning?" Taylor asks Provenza.

"No, she's sick and won't be in today," Provenza says.

"That's too bad," replies Howard. "I wanted to tell her the good news in person."

"What good news?" asks Flynn.

"I heard from one of my former FBI colleagues early this morning, and it seems that Philip Stroh was apprehended in Prague sometime in the past 24 hours. I don't have many details yet, but he's in custody and awaiting extradition," says Howard.

"Provenza if you hear from Captain Raydor again today please let her know, and we'll inform Rusty as soon as possible," Taylor says.

* * *

This has been one long morning in bed, but I'm feeling a lot better. I really didn't sleep that much even after taking several cold tablets. Mostly, my thoughts have been drifting to that totally unexpected kiss. What happened after the kiss also caught me by surprise. Andy was holding me tightly but also gently, and he was staring so intently into my eyes that it almost felt like he could see into my soul. He could see the hurt, disappointment and anger I've been living with thanks to Jack. I hope he could also see that I'm not broken. I'm ready for happiness. I'm ready for bigger and better things. Of course, I had to kill the moment by sneezing on him.

I was prowling around in the kitchen, trying to find something to eat, when I heard the doorbell ring. Looking through the peep hole, I see Andy standing there with a huge smile on his face.

"Are you coming back for more germs?" I ask as I let him in the door.

"Sharon, I've got great news, and I wanted to be the one to tell you in person."

I have to sit down. Andy's news is so overwhelming it takes my breath away. He doesn't have many details, but the important thing is Stroh is no longer an immediate threat.

"Provenza ordered me to come over here and tell you the news," says Flynn. "He said he was sick of me sneezing all over the office, but really I think he just wanted to give me the opportunity to tell you in person."

"Andy, I'm so sorry I gave you my cold."

"Well, it's not exactly your fault. You didn't know I was going to kiss you. Hell, I didn't know I was going to kiss you," Andy says.

Now it's my turn to surprise him by grasping both his hands and looking deeply into his eyes before I tell him that I would like to share some more germs.


End file.
